Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have long thought that the cells that ultimately give rise to the heart all respond to the same cue before turning into the muscle tissue of this vital organ. But now researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine have shown that not all heart cells are created equal; in response to one signal to differentiate, some will act, while others lie in wait. The discovery, made in frogs, or Xenopus, may lead to advances in understanding – and ultimately treating – congenital heart disease and heart attacks.
